Removable valve-stem protector



May 15, 1928. 1,670,241

w. w. CONNER REMOVABLE VALVE STEM PROTECTOR Filed Sept. 30, 1927 I WITNESSES V INVENTOR (I) 20. 70. Conner W-m BY W ATTOR NEY Patented May 15, 1928.

UN TE D; STA

WILLIAM CONNEB OF SEWABBN, NEW JERSEY.

REMOVABLE VALVE-STEM. PBOTEO'IOE' Application filed September 30, 1 9231 fleriali lto. 223,061.

This invention relates to a removable valve stem protector.

An object of the invention is, to.provide a protector which. may be placed around the a stern of a valve without removingthe hand.- wheel. or o eratin device secured to the stem and w ich wiimosteficiently protect the stem under all-conditions.

Incarryin out. my inventionrIempl'oy a ductilespoolke split sleeve which may be movedby hand. to position the. same on the valve: stem or and I provide in-thesleeve a felt or other packing. saturated. with oil on other lubri- 6 cangandlI provide a bendablesprin which enga es. the; handwheelof the. vave and whic functions to exert pressure,on the sleeve to holdlit inoperative positionagaiiist the. stufiing. of the valve. is capable of be'ndingand other as todisengage the'. same from. allow. the latter to lie-removed as occasion may require.

My device has. many. advantages, some'fof which may be enumerated as follows:'

It protects the valve steml'from corrosion, preserves the valvestem packing and prevents scale andrust beingcarried'intothe packing. when the valve is closed.

movement so the; sleeve to' andreplaced so It ermits the .valve. stufing repac ed without. removing, the handwheelfrom the stem, and this is anextremely imv portant feature as it is difiicultto remove the handwheel and inmany cases the hand-.

' place.

wheel'is riveted 'in e sleeve is-made of metal such as lead orllead alloys and can be spread where the ends meet and removed with the. finger s; and the felt pad employed as a packing. within the sleeve is of high capilla properties to retain oil, and. additional lu ricant can be applied to the felt when required.

The device is practically indestructible and cannot become fouled and crushed when the valve is closed or opened.

The spring emplo ed is preferably galvanized or protecte with a non-corrosive coating.

The device prolongs the life of the valve stem and is not afiected by low temperatures of the refrigerant in va ve and pipe.

My device is of extremely simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and can be easily and quickly placed in position by any one of average intelligence, not requirremove; the same therefrom,

The spring fbdxtobe.

non-corrosive ductile.

in no case requiring ingskiHed labor and handwheel from. the

the removing, ofthe Valves such as used .in refrigerating tem's areexposed todampn'ess and. the elenents' ofithe-weather and as thestemspf thevalves. are. ordinarily composed of soft steelthey soon becomecorroded and pitted. With the ordinary valve when it is desired to'change, the packing of the stufiing box, it. is necessa this is a very d' cultproblem. In myde: vicethis. is altogether unnecessary and furthermorethe device functionsto preventcorrosion around the stem. and prevents any possibility.of. rnst. or

or'ced into the stufiing box. when the. valve stem,'isl moved.. If foreignmatter is car.- ried down into the soft'packing' of'the stuif to remove the wheel and foreign matter being ing,box ,it will cause the same toleak and hence itis .a. .very, important feature of. my invention to eliminate. this possibility.

With these. and' other objects in view, the invention oonsiSt's -in certain novel features of construction, and combinations and. ar-

rangementsyof. parts, which. will be more I mItne glaimsl, I d i t e accompanyin, rawin Figure 1 is a view in Jon 'tud iizl 'section illustrating myimproved; evice in operative,positionon'thevalve".

' Eigure 2is1a topplan view of, are 1 Figure 3 is a perspective view 0 my improved.slceve;.

full'l hereinafter described and-pointed, Out

, Figure 4.is a, view insectionon the line.

4.4, showing the sleeve expanded. to position the. same on the stem or remove the.

same. frointhe stem. of the valve.

The accompanyin drawingsillustrate my invention. as.applie d to,one type. of valve and it is of course to not limit myself to, they particular type of valve employed. asmy invention is applicable to various,types.

3 the stem, and 4 the stufiing box through which the stem projects. 5 is the handwheel which is secured on the end of the stem and as the stem is screw-threaded, as shown at 6, the rotary movement of the stem moves the valve 2 from open to closed position and vice versa.

My improved sleeve 7 is located around the stem 3 of the valve and against the stufiing box 4, and comprises a split spoolbe understood that I do 1 represents thevali'e casing, 2 the valve annular flanges S at its en 5 and is locatedaround a felt or other packing 9 which 'encloses the stern. This packm 9 extends throughout the length of the' s eeve and is adapted to be saturated with oil.

To hold the sleeve in proper position I provide a spring 10 whie is composed of s ring wire, suitably treated to protect t from injury from the elements. This spring wire 10' is bent intermediate its ends formin 'aloop 11 positioned underone of the spodzes 13 of the wheel 5.' The ends of the wire are then bent inwardly and located at opposite sides of the stem 3, and exert downward pressure on the sleeve 7 'Whn it is desired to remove the sleeve',

" the ends of the wire spring are spread apart 1 While so as toinove them off of theend ofth sleeve 7,,and, then the s ring willassume the'dottedline position s own in Figure 1', and be out of the way during the ni anipula:

tion of the sleeve.

fl Itfis therefore apparent that the. sleeve may be :.remov (1 without removing the handwheel 5 so'that the stufiing' bo'x i may berepacked as'occasion may require.

q p I haveillu str'ated w'hat'jI believe to be a preferred embodiment of my invention itis'obvio'us that various'changes' and alter ations might be made in 'the' general form of the parts describedwithout'departing from my invention' and hence I do not limit mvself'to the'precisedetails set forth buteonsider myself at libert tom'ake such changes and alt-erati'onsfas fairly fall within the spiritand scope of the appended claims. "Iclaiim' E 1. Adeviee of the character described, including' a split sleeve ada ted to be posit'ioned around the stem 0 a valve, and a I spring adapted to be interposed between the valve handle and the sleeve and exert pressure on one end of the sleeve.

2. A device of the character described, including a bendable split sleeve adapted to bend tii'ulllitl line stem 01' avaive, and resilient means adapted to be interposed between the'valve handle and the sleeve and exert pressure on the end of the sleeve.

3. device of the character described, in-

eluding a split sleeve adapted to be positioned around the stem of a valve, a spring adapted to be interposed between the valve handle and the sleeve and exert pressure on one end of the stem, lubricant saturated packing material in the sleeve, and annular flanges on both ends of the sleeve.

4. A device of the character described, including a bendable split sleeve adapted to bend around the stem ofa valve, resilient means ada ted to be interposed between the valvef han le and the sleeve and exert pressure on the end of the sleeve, lubricant saturated packing material in the sleeve, and annular flanges on both ends of the sleeve. 5. A device'of the character described, includin a. split sleeve of ductile material adapted tobe positioned around the stem of a valve; a lubricant saturated packing in said sleeve, and a sprin adapt-ed tobe coupled to the handwheel o the valve and have removable engagement with one end of the sleeve whereb the sleeve is adapted to be ield'against t e stufiing box of the valve. ".6. In combination with a valve easing, a valve in the ea sing ,'a stufin box on the easing, a valve stem connecte with the valve and projectingthrough' the stufiing box and a handwheel on the end of the aem, of a split' duetile sleeve located around the stem and against the stufiing box, a lubricant saturated packing in said sleeve, and a sp ring'eonnected to the handwheel and engaging t-heend of the sleeve to hold. it against' the stufling box.' ,7. Inicornbination with a valve"easing, a valve in the casing, a stufiing box'on the casing, a valvestem connected. with the valve .and. projecting through the stuffing box and a 'handwheel 'on the end of the. stem, of a split" duetile sleeve located around the stern and against tl1e.stufiing box,'a lubricant saturated packing in said sleeve, and a spring composed of wire bent intermediate its ends and lonped'under a spoke of the lmndwheel, and at its ends engaging the outer end nf tlic sleeve at o posite sides of the stem and adapted to l):- spread apart to free the sleeve when the latter is to be removed from the. stem or placed in position thereon.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 22nd day of September A. D. 1927.

\VILLIAM W. CONNER. 

